Pride of America Review
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Just returned from our Hawaiian cruise on 1/16. We had read so many negative reviews of POA that we were a little concerned about the state of the ship and the cruise itself. This was our 7th cruise and 1st with NCL. First off, lets say that the ship is an older ship but was in very good condition (much of the carpeting actually looked new) so we were pleasantly surprised. It is a little dated and I hated the white ballustrade in the atrium ( I get that it is intended to represent colonial America but just too heavy!)
We intended that the ship really just be our floating hotel as this was our first trip to Hawaii and we wanted to see all we could see. Our cabin was a balcony aft and although the cabin was on the smaller side and the bathroom was tiny, it was immaculate and served it's purpose and we had no complaints at all. We didn't use the pool or attend many of the "activities". We did eat on the ship every morning and night and the food was just OK- disappointed there wasn't anything really delicious but the variety of food was good. We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants.
We did also attend the evening show in the Hollywood Theater each night. The Four Seasons Tribute group was great, the comic was good but the rest of the shows were on the lame side. The cruise director was probably the worst cruise director we've ever encountered. He just didn't seem like he enjoyed his job and was always forcing it, not really trying to get the crowd excited. Keeping in mind that this cruise happens every single week and goes to the exact same places every single week, I would say that the crew overall was good. The dining staff was friendly, attentive and almost too efficient. The rest of the officers etc were always saying hello and willing to help answer questions etc. We spoke with some staff who explained that they have to follow Hawaii's labor laws so all have to be paid at least minimum wage and if they work over 40 hours, they have to receive overtime so we are assuming that is contributing to the higher relative cost of this cruise.
Cabin Review
Balcony
Port Reviews
Honolulu
Tour bus stopped on the way back from Pearl Harbor at Punchbowl and did a tour of downtown Honolulu. Made stops at the Palace ( and at Hawaii 50 "headquarters"). Again, easy way for us to see the sights we might have missed otherwise due to time constraints.
Honolulu
We traveled in a small van along the perimeter of Oahu. I'm so glad we did this tour as it allowed us to really see the island in a day. We were able to visit beaches and the Byodo-In Temple, which is a must see and we would have missed it. The second half of the tour ( west side) was a bit long and boring except for the Dole plantation..but still worth it.
Honolulu
On a large bus to Pearl Harbor. They dropped us off and picked us up and returned us to the hotel. Tour included tickets to the Arizona memorial and the time we were in Pearl Harbor was on our own.
Maui
Awesome! Well worth the 2 hour drive up the switchbacks to watch a spectacular sunset into the clouds. View of the crater and lava fields at 10,000 ft is pretty impressive as well! If you go for sunset ( or sunrise) wear warm layers...it gets cold!
Maui
Island tour was ok, long drive around the island and sites were underwhelming. Too many gift shops but they also doubled as clean bathroom stops so it was understandable. Tour was on large bus.
Maui
I didn' really want to do this but was surprised at the quality of the Ocean Center and the exhibits. Much love and thought has gone into this center and it is an excellent place for children as well! Many child friendly exhibits! Great moon jelly tank too!
Maui
We were with a small group and were taken to Wailea beach between the Four Seasons and Grand Wailea hotels. Dropped off and picked up ( 5hrs on beach) We rented lounge chairs and an umbrella and had a great day! The beach is super soft and the water pristine! There is a snack bar for the hotel guests that we didn't use. A nice relaxing day.
Hilo
Large bus tour up to the National Park. The Kilauea volcano was spouting smoke and gas and from the lookout, you could see down into the crater. The exhibit in the visitor center at the crater was very enlightening as well. Stopped at the 1974 lava flow to walk through and photo op. It's a tour you must take either on own or with group.